"Miko Vergun, a plaintiff in the landmark 2015 federal youth climate lawsuit Juliana v. United States,which questioned the constitutionality of 50 years of government support for fossil fuels,wasn't surprised on the first day of President Donald Trump's second term when he issued three executive orders meant to clear the way for the drilling of more oil and gas and the mining of more coal in the name of energy security."
"The Juliana case was the first in a series of lawsuits brought by the nonprofit law firm Our Children's Trust on behalf of youth plaintiffs. In August 2023, they won their case against Montana, which argued for a "fundamental constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment," and now the state must consider greenhouse gas emissions and their impacts in its permitting process."
Miko Vergun participated in the 2015 Juliana v. United States lawsuit challenging five decades of government support for fossil fuels. The Supreme Court declined to reconsider Juliana, ending that decade-long federal case and leaving Vergun disheartened. Our Children's Trust continued to represent youth plaintiffs in state-level actions, winning against Montana in August 2023 and securing a ruling that requires the state to consider greenhouse gas emissions in permitting. Hawaiʻi settled in 2024, agreeing to decarbonize transportation and reach zero emissions by 2045. Our Children's Trust later invited Vergun to join a new suit challenging three executive orders expanding fossil fuel development.
#youth-climate-litigation #fossil-fuel-policy #state-level-climate-victories #executive-orders-challenge
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